Clip carrier tape and clips



Jan. 4, 1966 E- FLOYD, JR 3,227,270

CLIP CARRIER TAPE AND CLIPS Filed Feb. 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORIda/1'22 Floyd; Jr:

BY AMIW+W ATTORNEY Jan. 4, 1966 E. FLOYD, JR 3,227,270

CLIP CARRIER TAPE AND CLIPS Filed Feb. 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOREdwin Floyd; Jr:

BY w v M ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed Feb. 8, 1963, Ser. No.257,133

2 Claims. (Cl. 206--56) This invention relates to electricalconnections. More particularly, this invention provides an improvedsystem for uniting electrical leads with terminal posts.

Heretofore, electrical connections have been formed by clamping a cliparound an electrical lead and a portion of an electrical terminal postso as to unite firmly the the three elements. Automatic and hand-heldtools have been provided for positioningthe clipv around the lead andpost to form the connection. In one prior process, the clips havebeenfed to the tool in continuous strip form, wherein the clips aredirectly united in end-to-end fashion, so that successive clips can besheared or fractured oif the strip. In another prior process, it hasbeen known to feed the clips to the tool on a portion of sheet materialwherein the clips are attached to the sheet material at spaced distancesthereon.

The present invention resides in the concept of an improved feedmaterial for carrying the clips to the tool and a method of forming.electrical connections with the feed material.

In the feed material according to the invention, the clips arefrictionally and releasably held on projections formed at spaceddistances along the length of a carrier tape. The invention has varioususes. It is particularly appropriate for the maintenance and repair ofelectrical equipment, and development of novel prototypes, wherein oneor only a few connections need be formed at a given time. The stripmaterial according to the invention can be employed witha simpler toolthan is required when using clips directly attached to each other instrip form.

According to the invention, the clips vare only frictionally held on thecarrier tape, and thus a small force of the tool is required to removethe clip from the tape for subsequent uniting with the lead and terminalpost. There is no requirement for the machine elements neces sary toshear or fracture a clip from a continuous strip.

For a better understanding of the invention and its other objects,advantages and details, reference is now made to the presently preferredembodiment of the invention which is shown, for purposes of illustrationonly, in the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective of the feed materialaccording to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective of a portion of the feed materialshown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view looking into the outer end of one of theclips frictionally held on a projection of the carrier tape, as seen inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary transverse section on the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective illustrating the method of the invention andshowing a roll of feed material according to the invention being fed toan assembling or uniting tool; and,

FIGURE 6 is a perspective of an electrical connection formed accordingto the invention.

Briefly stated, the feed material of the invention includes a carriertape and a plurality of clips removably carried on the tape. holesformed therein for engagement by the sprocket of an advancing wheel tofeed the material to the tool. The tape has a plurality of spacedprojections extending 3,227,270 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 from one sidethereof. Each projection is wedge-shaped. The clips are formed in agenerally-tubular shape so as to surround and frictionally engage aprojection of the tape.

According to the method of the invention, the feed material is moved ina step-by-step manner to the tool. An electrical lead is also fed to thetool. The tool is positioned adjacent an electrical terminal post. Thetool is then actuated to slide a clip from one of the projections of thetape. Thereafter, the tool unites the lead and post by clamping the cliparound them.

sheet material- Among the sheet materials which can be employed arepaper, synthetic resin plastics, and the like. The carrier tape 26includes a body portion 28 having formed therein a series ofsquare-shaped holes 30 at uniformly-spaced distances for engagement bythe teeth of a sprocket wheel formed on tool 16, where- The tape has aplurality of spaced by the carrier tape 26 is advanced in a'step-by-step fashion through a slot 34 in tool 16 during the connectingmethod.

For supporting the clips 18, a plurality of projections or fingers 36are formed on carrier tape 26 and extend at uniformly-spaced distancesfrom one longitudinal edge of body portion 28. Each projection 36includes a top surface 40, an opposite bottom surface 42, two sides 44,and an outer end face 46. Each projection 36 has a general wedge-shape,its sides 44 converging away from the body portion 28. The sides 44 forman angle of about 1 degree with planes perpendicular to the lengthwisedimension of body portion 28.

Each clip 18 has a substantially uniform cross section along its lengthso as to frictionally engage the projection 36 upon which it issupported, and be readily removed therefrom by a small dislodging forceapplied by an element of tool 16.

Each clip 18 is of generally-tubular shape with a bore 50 in the center.Each clip 18 includes a back plate 52 having a ridge 54 formed at thecenter of one end thereof. The ridge 54 is shaped to form a slot 56, asseen in FIGURE 3, for receiving the end of the electrical lead 20 in thefinished connection shown in FIGURE 6. Each clip 18 further includes twopanels 57 joined to opposite edges of back plate 52. Flanges 58 ofcurved form extend inwardly from the lower edges of the panel-s 56.Except for ridge 54, each clip 18 is of uniform cross section along itslength.

In the method of the invention, the clips 18 are slid onto projections36 of carrier tape 26 to forma releas able friction fit. The assembledfeed material 10 is formed into a coil or roll 12 and mounted on theshaft 14 of tool 16, as seen in FIGURE 5. The tool is actuated toadvance the feed material 10 into slot 34. An electrical lead 20 is feddown from above into groove 60 of the tool. The tool 16 is thenpositioned adjacent terminal post 22, which will generally be mounted ina terminal board (not shown). The tool 16 is then actuated, whereby aclip 18 is pushed 01f of its projection 36 and moved to a position wherethe end of lead 20 is received in slot 56 and the terminal post 22 isreceived in the bore 50 of the generally-tubular clip 18. The curvedflanges 58 clasp or clamp the terminal post 22 in the bore 50 and firmlyinto electrical connection with the end of lead 20.

The tool 16 is then withdrawn and is ready for a subsequent actuation toform another connection. 1

Thus it will be seen that the invention provides a feed material and amethod for forming electrical connections with simplified procedures andapparatus.

While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be recognized that the invention canbe otherwise variously embodied and racticed within the scope of thefollowing claims:

I claim:

1. For use in sequentially feeding clips to a clip fastening tool, feedmaterial including a carrier tape and a plurality of clips removablycarried on said tape, said tape having a plurality of alignedsquare-shaped holes formed at uniformly-spaced distances along thelength of said tape, said tape having a plurality of projectionsextending from one longitudinal edge of said body portion atuniformly-spaced distances, each said projections including a topsurface, an opposite bottom surface, two sides, and an outer end face,each said projection having its opposite sides converging in thedirection away from said edge of said body portion, each said sidehaving a taper of about one degree, each said clip being frictionallyand removably supported on a said projection; each said clip including aback plate engaging the top surface of a projection, two panels joinedto opposite edges of said back plate and extending adjacent said sidesof said projection, each said clip further including a pair of flangeseach joined to a panel and engaging said bottom surface of saidprojection; whereby, said tape can be advanced step-by-step to said tooland said clips can be successively removed from their projections bysaid tool.

2. For use in sequentially feeding clips to a clip fastening tool, feedmaterial including a carrier tape and a plurality of clips removablycarried on said tape, said tape having a plurality of aligned holesformed at uniformly-spaced distance-s along the length of said tape,said tape having a plurality of projections extending from onelongitudinal edge of said body portion at uniformlyspaced distances,each said projection including a top surface, an opposite bottomsurface, two sides, and an outer end face, each said projection havingits opposite sides converging in the direction away from said edge ofsaid body portion, each said clip being frictionally and removablysupported on a said projection; each said clip includinga back plateengaging the top surface of a projection, two panels joined to oppositeedges of said back plate and extending adjacent said sides of saidprojection, each said clip further including a pair of flanges eachjoined to a panel and engaging said bottom surface of said projection;whereby, said tape can be advanced step-by-step to said tool and saidclips can be successively removed from their projections by said tool.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,604,986 7/ 1952Berg 20659 2,815,124 12/1957 Pellier 20659 2,823,789 2/ 1958 Henning.2,963,775 12/1960 Chadwick 29155.55 3,054,165 9/1962 Braun et al.29155.55 3,129,814 4/1964 Chen et a]. 20656 THERON E. CONDON, PrimaryExaminer.

JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Examiner.

2. FOR USE IN SEQUENTIALLY FEEDING CLIPS TO A CLIP FASTENING TOOL, FEEDMATERIAL INCLUDING A CARRIER TAPE AND A PLURALITY OF CLIPS REMOVABLYCARRIED ON SAID TAPE, SAID TAPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED HOLESFORMED AT UNIFORMLY-SPACED DISTANCES ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID TAPE, SAIDTAPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM ONE LONGITUDINALEDGE OF SAID BODY PORTION AT UNIFORMLYSPACED DISTANCES, EACH SAIDPROJECTION INCLUDING A TOP SURFACE, AN OPPOSITE BOTTOM SURFACE, TWOSIDES, AND AN OUTER END FACE, EACH SAID PROJECTION HAVING ITS OPPOSITESIDES CONVERGING IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID EDGE OF SAID BODYPORTION, EACH SAID CLIP BEING FRICTIONALLY AND REMOVABLY SUPPORTED ON ASAID PROJECTION; EACH SAID CLIP INCLUDING A BACK PLATE ENGAGING THE TOPSURFACE OF A PROJECTION, TWO PANELS JOINED TO OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAIDBACK PLATE AND EXTENDING ADJACENT SAID SIDES OF SAID PROJECTION, EACHSAID CLIP FURTHER INCLUDING A PAIR OF FLANGES EACH JOINED TO A PANEL ANDENGAGING SAID BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID PROJECTION; WHEREBY, SAID TAPE CANBE ADVANCED STEP-BY-STEP TO SAID TOOL AND SAID CLIPS CAN BE SUCCESIVELYREMOVED FROM THEIR PROJECTIONS BY SAID TOOL.